Pumpkin Smoothies from Jamba Juice

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Jamba Juice announced three new smoothies - Pumpkin (squeeeeeee!!), Matcha Green Tea (yum!) and Peanut Butter and Berries (ooooooh!). Of course, the one I am most excited about is their Pumpkin Smoothie!

Restaurant Review: SunCafe in Studio City, CA

Written by Sarah E. Jahier

Last month Mister Spooky and I were having a fun morning at Universal Studios (read all about it and their vegan options), hanging with the Universal Monsters, Beetlejuice and Norman Bates, but we finished up around lunch time and were looking for a nearby vegan place to eat. Lo and behold, just down the street (or down the hill) was a small restaurant called SunCafe, which is a mostly-raw vegan restaurant serving up organic and healthy food. We decided to check it out since it was so close.

The street parking is metered, and they don't have their own parking lot as far as I could tell. We had to park a ways down the street and walk back up, which was no biggie, but I can see parking being an issue, especially on busier days or weekends. When I walked in, the place was pretty packed (it was Friday at lunchtime, so it wasn't surprising), but we were seated quickly and the service was attentive.

We had actually eaten previously at Universal Studios, so we decided to go easy and just order appetizers and drinks. I could not resist ordering their Orange Cremesicle Shake, which is a raw drink containing just fresh orange, pineapple and agave, topped with coconut shreds and goji berries. It was delicious and tasted just like an Orange Julius (confession: I used to get those all the time at the mall as a teen in my pre-vegan days!)! This Orange Cremesicle was dreamy and definitely hit the spot!

SunCafe's Orange Cremesicle Shake

31 Days of Halloween: Vegan Pumpkin Pie Shake Recipe

Octobers in Southern California are usually pretty warm...unfortunately temperatures still hover around 80 degrees Fahrenheit and we rarely get a cool, crisp autumn. If you are like me and still want to enjoy the warm flavors of the fall season while still staying cool, then try this vegan pumpkin pie shake recipe! It is like a pumpkin pie in milkshake form!

I adapted the recipe after looking at several pumpkin smoothie recipes online (namely this one by Feed Me I'm Cranky and this one by Happy Herbivore). I wanted a richer, thicker shake so I added some vanilla ice cream and this new autumn creation was born!

Vegan Pumpkin Pie Shake

Ingredients:

3/4 cup pumpkin puree (I used the can version, but I think prepared fresh pumpkin would taste even better!)
1 ripe banana
1/2 cup vegan vanilla ice cream (I used Coconut Bliss in Island Vanilla) plus a scoop to add to your blended shake
1/2 cup vegan non-dairy milk (try a richer, denser non-dairy milk - I used rice milk)
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon plus more for sprinkling on top
Ice

Directions:

Throw everything in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. If shake is too thick, add more non-dairy milk. If you like a bit more sweetness, try adding a teaspoon or so of pure maple syrup.

Pour into a tall glass and top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon if desired. Drink and enjoy!

Recipe makes enough for two if you feel like sharing!

Kale, Spinach and Apple Shake

 I always drink out of my favorite batty glasses :)

Saturday night was full of fun as Mister Spooky and I went to the Santa Ana Art Walk and ended up doing some bar hopping with some friends later that evening. Good drinks, good food and even better company were enjoyed into the wee hours of the morning.

Sunday morning came far too soon, especially since we had to get up early for a birthday brunch. We were definitely feeling the aftermath of the previous night and needed a healthy pick-me-up to get us through the day. After digging through our fridge all bleary-eyed, we came up with a kale, spinach and apple shake that  was surprisingly delicious! It also infused our bodies with plenty of vitamins, minerals and other goodies that gave us that extra "oomph" to get on with our day. 

In our juicer (we use a Breville BJE200XL 700-Watt Compact Juice Fountain) we threw:

2 bags of spinach
1 bunch of kale
2 apples

The result was a refreshing, re-energizing drink that smelled like freshly cut grass! And just look at the beautiful jewel-toned green color! Gorgeous! I thought the kale would give it a slightly bitter taste, but the apples actually mellowed the flavor and gave it some extra sweetness. The drink was delicious, delightful and definitely made us both feel much better!

If you are ever in need of a quick pick-me-up, I would definitely recommend making this concoction. I think a tiny bit of freshly grated ginger would also give it a nice kick if you need a boost to your immune system.

Purple Monster Acai Shake

Summer has finally hit SoCal and it's been hot, hot, HOT these past few days. Luckily, I've been keeping cool with a shake I've dubbed the "Purple Monster". This cool, re-energizing shake boasts a healthy mix of acai (I love saying this word..."ah-SIGH-eeeee"!), banana, strawberry and a splash of rice milk.

Lately I've been obsessive over acai and I found these handy smoothie packets to conveniently make my own shakes! I found mine at Henry's, but you can probably find them in the freezer section of your local health food/grocery store.

For this smoothie I took one packet of the acai, one banana, a handful of chopped up strawberries, a few splashes of Rice Dream, some ice cubes and threw everything in a blender. Sometimes I like to top it with some granola and fresh fruit (as shown above) to make it a meal. Easy-peasy, just the way I like it!

The result is a yummy, acai-strawberry-banana shake that is chock full of antioxidants and vitamins! This shake is a sure-fire way to perk me up any time of day, and the acai smoothie packets make it that much more convenient!

Green Sunshine Shake

Is there any other perfect way than to wake up with this:

Going batty! 

Food Review: Vega Whole Food Health Optimizer - Mixed Berry Complex

Vega Whole Food Health Optimizer is a meal replacement shake I've been taking for about 2 months now. According to their official site, Vega is:

Formulated by Brendan Brazier, vegan, professional Ironman triathlete and best-selling author on performance nutrition, Vega is made exclusively from natural plant-based whole foods.

A synergistic collection of Brendan's favorite plant-based superfoods, Vega is not only a complete meal replacement, but also an ideal daily health-optimizing supplement.